by T. R. Harris
“To a point,” the mutant said. “However, the true genius of the process is the transmission of data over vast distances at thousands of times the speed of light. Data is encrypted through electrons at one point. And then the identical data appears through entangled electrons at the next relay point, having traveled thousands of light-years without moving. Gravity is what sets the points, but it is the quantum field that creates the entanglement.”
Adam shook his head. “Without moving? Is that possible?”
“It happens all the time. But you must realize this is taking place on a quantum level, which is even smaller than the atomic scale. In fact, it is a state unto itself, the so-called quantum universe.”
Riyad stood up straight and stretched. “Are we not getting off-topic? How is this quantum stuff related to the robberies?”
“Because the beams used to commit said robberies are producing side effects which the thieves are not aware of. The Aris used the beams not only for suspension but as a means to defeat the Loz, a means of capture and containment. They found a way to produce voids within the quantum universe, voids into which they placed the leaders of the Loz billions of years ago.”
“Seems like a roundabout way of killing them?” Adam said.
“It would seem so if the Loz died from the process,” Lila said. “However, at the moment, neither Panur nor I know for sure the state of their existence. That is a puzzle for which we seek a solution.”
Chapter 11
With his head about to explode from a plethora of useless knowledge, Adam thanked the mutants for their help, and then he and Riyad left the lab, heading back to the bank to report on what they’d found. All this talk of quantum enigmas was fascinating, but it had little to do with the practical application of the technology, as far as Adam could tell. In one way, he didn’t care whether the Juirean banks were being robbed or not; the Juireans were assholes and deserved what they got. On the other hand, Adam lived in the Expansion universe, relying on Expansion goods and commerce. A breakdown in the credit system could affect him; therefore, he would help the Juireans stop the thieves.
In truth, Adam was more concerned with what Lila had said about the technology in military applications. The prospect of having whole armies whisked away to certain death was frightening. And seeing how beams could be projected five hundred feet through solid rock, nothing would be safe from such a weapon. It was imperative that he find the Gracilians and shut down their operation, all the while praying the technology hadn’t yet made it into the clear. He’d hate to have to live out the remainder of this life inside a personal Lerpiniere field.
Halfway to town, Adam’s communicator sounded. It was Kaylor calling from Capt. Cain’s.
“Good news,” Adam’s Belsonian friend began. “Old friends have arrived for a visit. Summer, Monty and Tidus are in the bar at the moment, enjoying the afternoon sun on the sand.”
Riyad heard the message and frowned.
So did Adam.
“That’s great news, Kaylor. Tell them Riyad and I will be there in about ten minutes. Don’t let them leave before we get there.”
“There is no chance of that. They just ordered fresh bar-b-que jorna from the grill. Sancus has only now begun cooking.”
Adam broke the connection.
“This can’t be a coincidence, my friend,” Riyad said. “The most effective bounty-hunting team in the galaxy just happens to show up in Balamar right after the Expansion Bank gets robbed.”
“That’s what I was thinking. Maybe this is what Andon meant when he said the Juireans had things under control. It makes sense. A bunch of Juireans scrambling around in a panic would attract attention. But not a small group of bounty hunters on lawless Navarus.”
Riyad smiled. “I take exception to the term lawless. You are the law on Navarus, Marshal Cain, you, and your Enforcers.”
“Sorry about that. I guess you’re right.” Adam made a crooked grin. “So … I Am the Law. I like the sound of that.”
The blue-skinned Belsonian Kaylor Linn Todd shuffled enthusiastically up to Adam and Riyad while pointing to the beach out the back of the restaurant.
“Old friends have returned,” he said anxiously. “They are expecting you.”
Seated at one of the larger tables on the sand and under a pink canopy was a trio of familiar faces; two Humans and one Juirean. Adam and Riyad hurried out to see their friends, Summer Rains, her father Monty Pitts, and the former Juirean Overlord, Tidus Fe Nolan. Together, they formed one of the most effective bounty-hunting teams in the Priority Acquisitions organization, a galaxy-wide security firm comprised of recovery agents, bodyguard details, and even small paramilitary units for hire. Adam hadn’t seen them for three years.
The greetings were warm between the friends, who, in the past, had shared many an adventure, although Adam noticed Summer was more restrained than usual. She went through the motions of smiling and hugging him and Riyad, but then a cold detachment returned to her face the moment they broke the embrace.
“Are you still in touch with Jay Williford?” Adam asked the diminutive young blonde. He’d lost track, but estimated Summer had to be around twenty-four by now. Her perilous journey into the galaxy to find her long-lost dad, Monty, had begun a series of events that led her first to Adam’s team and then to Priority. In a way, Adam was surprised to find she was still traipsing around the Milky Way in search of bail-jumpers and other wanted fugitives, thinking that at some point she might return to Earth. Looking at her sour face, that may still be in the works. However, before this meeting, Summer beamed with an inner glow, thrilled by what she did for a living. She tracked down bad guys and girls—and things—across the stars and was paid good money for it. Now she appeared tired, even bored with the whole affair.
“Kaylor put in a call to Jay; he’s off-planet and won’t be joining us,” Summer replied, referring to her former boyfriend, Jay Williford. The pair had a thing going during the last time the bounty-hunting trio was on Navarus. As with the rest of her demeanor, she didn’t express much enthusiasm with rekindling the past affair.
“He works for me now, so I can get him back here if you’re going to be around long enough.”
“We only just arrived, Adam, and our stay here should be short,” said Tidus, the tall, unconventional Juirean. The former-Overlord was both a legend and a pariah within the galaxy. He was a legend because of his reputation as an effective and ruthless bounty-hunter, a master of tactics and strategy. He was also a pariah since he was one of only a handful of Juireans to ever abandon the Authority, along with its rigid structure and culture. As a mark of his banishment, Tidus was forbidden to display the blue hair of his former status in the traditional bulbous bouffant-style worn by other Juireans. That was fine by him. He now wore his genetically-dyed blue hair in a long pony-tail, looking every bit the alien hippie that he was. He reveled in the freedom of emotion and the wonder of ambition that was lacking in the majority of his people, relating more with erratic Humans than other Juireans. For years, Tidus and Adam had been associates, either as partners or as adversaries. Now Adam considered him one of his best friends.
The big, bare-armed bear of a man with the fading anchor tattoo seated next to Summer was Monty Pitts, a former-Senior Chief Hull Tech and Summer’s father. He left Earth over fifteen years ago to fight with the Humans against the Kracori and the Klin and believed to have died in action within the Dysion Void. It came as quite a shock when Summer saw her long-dead father standing behind Adam in a video shot during the time of the Kracion affair. In a desperate effort to find her estranged father, Summer left her happy and secure life on Earth and headed out into the galaxy in search of Monty. Over the years, the pair reconciled their differences, and now Monty doted on his daughter, attempting to make up for lost time. However, as it was with most father-daughter relationships, the dynamic was often strained, varying from moment to moment. At the moment, it appeared strained.
“What brings you back to Navarus
, my friends?” Riyad asked. Adam knew he was baiting the bounty-hunters. Knowledge of the robbery was supposed to be secret. There would be no reason for Adam and Riyad to know about it.
“We’re on assignment,” Tidus answered. “What else? We certainly didn’t come here to rekindle old acquaintances. I never held much affection for either of you. You are just a pair of assholes, in my opinion.” The alien smiled with a full-tooth grin, dispensing with the fear that bearing his teeth would invite a death-challenge. He knew Humans didn’t subscribe to the tradition.
Adam laughed. Like Panur, Tidus talked and acted more like a Human than an alien. But it was funny to hear him pronounce asshole in his formal Juirean voice. Tidus spent a lot of time in the slums of the galaxy chasing fugitives and could hold his own on any planet in the Expansion.
“Who are you after this time?” Adam asked innocently.
“That is confidential,” Summer spoke suddenly, catching everyone off guard with her intensity.”
Adam recoiled. “Dang, Summer, you’re among friends. We might be able to help. After all, someone just reminded me that I’m the law around these here parts.” He thought he pulled off the Western slang accent quiet well.
“We don’t—”
“It’s okay, Summer,” Monty said, interrupting his daughter. “Sorry, Adam. It’s just that it’s a special assignment and on a strictly need-to-know basis. We’re not allowed to bring in the Enforcers—or anyone else, for that matter.”
“Sounds all cloak-and-dagger.” Adam glanced at Riyad and noticed the confirmation in his eyes.
This is about the bank robbery, I’m sure of it, Riyad announced through his ATD.
Adam nodded, acknowledging both Riyad and Monty with the gesture.
“How long are you going to be here, or are we just a stop-over on your way to some other, more exotic destination?” Adam asked.
“That depends,” Summer answered curtly.
There was something off about her, Adam concluded. He thought he’d try a different tack, something a little less intrusive.
“Okay then, other than this special assignment, what else have you been up to since we last met? It’s been three years; I’m sure you have some great stories to tell.” He motioned to the little bear-like alien Jym to bring the table another round of brew. Maybe with enough alcohol, tongues would be loosened. Although Adam already knew why the team was on Navarus, he now considered it a challenge to get them to admit it.
A cloud came over Monty’s face. “Not much, actually. A lot of that time was spent—”
“Don’t, father,” Summer said quickly.
“It’s okay. I’m sure they want to know. They’re our friends. And we don’t have very many of them around.”
“Know what?” Adam inquired.
Monty sighed, looking with sorrowful eyes at this daughter. “We spent over a year in hospitals and therapy while Summer recovered from an injury she suffered during one of our missions. I’ve gotta tell you, Adam, we almost lost her.” Monty placed a huge hand on Summer’s shoulder.
“What happened?”
“Some spiny beast gorged her pretty bad. She was in a coma for seven months. After that, a lot of rehab. She’s only now getting back to normal.”
“Thanks for that, dad,” Summer said sourly.
“Why didn’t you call us; let us know what was happening?”
“We were all pretty messed up at the time. We didn’t want to burden anyone else with what we were going through.”
“Hey, it’s happened to all of us at one time or another,” Adam said. “We’re just glad you made it.” That explains her strange mood; she’s still recovering, if not physically, then mentally.
“What’s frustrating is that it was my fault,” Summer mumbled. “I got lazy and let that thing get the drop on me. I won’t let that happen again.”
That sounds like the old Summer Rains, Adam thought. She was a proud and determined young lady who usually exuded supreme confidence. At eighteen, Summer won a Gold Medal in Archery at the Olympics and then spent a couple of years working SWAT with the D.C. police force. She was a phenom with a compound bow and fearless in combat. Adam would hate to see her lose that confidence, that swagger.
As Adam studied Summer’s body language, he also knew she had a secret that very few people were aware of.
Lurking within her body, she had the living essence of the superbeing J’nae inside her, an immortal creature created by Panur to replace the alien Sol-Kor queen. Several years ago, the Aris distilled J’nae’s body into a form they could use to make them immortal, the end product of their three-billion-year-long Grand Experiment. Then out of desperation to save her life, Adam fed Summer a small vial of J’nae’s remaining essence, and since that time, dual personalities have fought for control of the body. For the most part, Summer won out, able to lock the alien entity away in a small corner of her subconscious. Since then, she’d been afraid to release J’nae even for a second, although doing so would give her incredible powers. She feared that if released, J’nae may never relinquish control. Then it would be Summer banished to the dark recesses of the now alien mind.
“I don’t suppose the reason you’re here has anything to do with the robbery of the Expansion Bank down the street,” Adam asked, tiring of the game he was playing with his friends. “If so, that would be a strange coincidence, since Riyad and I are working on the same case.” Adam had agreed to keep the theft a secret, but he was pretty sure Summer and her team already knew about it.
Tidus looked to the other members of his team before leaning forward, his tall form nearly reaching across the table toward Adam. “You must not share this news with anyone. The Juirean Authority requested the team, and we stand to make our biggest bounty should we make the grab. Please do not jeopardize our prospects.”
Adam held up his hands in defense. “We’re not trying to jeopardize anyone’s livelihood. I just thought you would like to know that we just came from talking with Panur and Lila about the thefts. They had some pretty good insights into what’s going on.”
“You mean about teleportation technology? Yes, we know.”
“That’s right, but there’s more, something about quantum anchors and beacon chips. That’s how the thieves focus the T-beam.”
Originally, Adam wanted to gloat to Andon about what he learned, but it would be better if Adam’s friends were the ones who caught the thieves, with his and Riyad’s help, of course. Tidus and his people could keep the reward. Adam would be happy knowing they made a lot of money and that the Juireans foot the bill.
“Beacon chips?” Tidus asked.
“That’s right, modified credits that pinpoint where the beams should focus. That’s how the thieves can be so precise.”
“In stolen chips? He’s able to modify the stolen chips?”
“Correct,” Riyad said, “although if they don’t use stolen chips, you won’t be able to track where the next robbery—”
“Wait,” Adam interrupted. “You said he. Do you know who’s doing this? It’s the Gracilians, isn’t it?”
Tidus stretched out a broad grin on his thin, pale green face. “Among others. But the person we suspect to be in charge is someone whose name will be quite familiar to all seated at this table.”
Chapter 12
What a difference three months can make. Before that, his life was a living hell.
Now Michael Hannon was ecstatic over how well things were going. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined such an incredible turnaround.
Everything had gone off flawlessly, in this, their most ambitious heist. Mike was in the cargo hold of the cargo ship, watching as his Gracilian accomplices continued work on dismantling the mechanical apparatus that had come along for the ride with the millions of credits they’d sucked out of the Balamar bank. Of course, no one cared for anything but the credits; however, the bulk of the thin chips came locked in high-tech storage containers, with stackers and articulated arms used to cat
egorize and record each credit. Their removal complicated the extraction process. It took time to breach the metal containers, although every minute spent working on the mass of metal and electronics was worth millions in JCs.
Mike was seated at a table; one already stacked high with over a hundred million in multi-colored Juirean credits. To the Human, the stacks signified success, incredible success, as well as redemption. He sighed, thinking it was about time something went right for him. The past several years hadn’t turned out quite as expected. That all changed three months ago when the pair of black-skinned Gracilians contacted him, and because of that link, he was now a multimillionaire, at least in Juirean credits. He laughed softly. The exchange rate between dollars to JCs was about three to one. On Earth, he would be a multi-multimillionaire.
That was a far cry from how things were going for him less than half a year ago.
Sergeant First-Class Michael C. Hannon left Earth as a Delta, part of an elite unit of Army special forces ostensibly sent to fight the Mad Aris Kracion. That was ten years ago, and although he never saw action against the alien—which was fortunate—he decided to remain in the galaxy and pursue more questionable uses of his skills when his current enlistment ended.
As befitting his training, Mike found work as an alien assassin. His first several contracts were minor and successful, although they didn’t produce the fortune he was after. Then came the mother of all contracts—the assassination of the Quid-Elder of the Juireans, a green-skinned creature named Quanin Fe Borland, and the next-in-line for the leadership of the Expansion. The contract was the bigtime, supposed to be both Mike’s greatest hit, as well as the one that would make him enough money so he could retire and live like a king on any of a thousand worlds in the galaxy.
Unfortunately, that contract didn’t work out as planned. Nike was paid only a small advance upfront, and later, when everything went to hell in a handbasket, he was left broke and the most-wanted person in the galaxy. He’d been set up from the beginning, designed to publicly take the fall for the assassination while making it possible for the masterminds of the plot to blame the Human race for the killing. The galaxy nearly went to war after the assassination, and Mike barely escaped Navarus with his life, thanks in part to the help he got from the famous Adam Cain himself.